Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-10
THEGRANT- HANCOCK TIFF
ORIGIN OF THE ESTRANGEM ENT
BETWEEN THE GENERALS.

Dating Back to Days When They Were
Counting In St. Louis and Were Only
Ltsutensnts in the Army-Their Meet
ing In Washington Years Afterw ard
NO Reconciliation Ever Effected.
From tie Ne,o Yors World.
WASHINGTON, Feb. GA well known
MAJOR General In the army this evening
gave the true story of the original quarrel
between Grant and Hancock. He said:
"The facts, familiar to some OF us, and a g
related by contemporaneous army Off
GERS, who, like myself, met the Russell
and Dent families and young LIeuts.
Grant and Hancock years ago In st.
Louis, briefly stated, are these: The Rus
sell family, then living in st. Louis, was
rich, becoming so upon profitable army
contracts which Miss Russelps father
had obtained from the United States gov
eminent during and after the Mexican
war. The Dent family, then residing in
the suburbs of st. Louis. was poor. The
Russell family entertained splendIdly.
The Dent family did not mingle in the
society OF that city, but lived humbly
and frugally. The young Iieutenants and
captains of our regular army. who
society, visited the Russells, admired and
some courted the rich and accomplished
Miss Russell.
'The gay young officers who coveted
riches did not seek Miss Dent, and, there
Tore, 1t was said, she became just a little
bit envious of the much-sought rich
young lady. A superb Young officer won
and carried off the 'rich price Lieut..
Winfield Scott Hancock married Miss
Russell. A poor, and not then very pre-
possessing young officer found favor in
the eyes and won the heart of the more
humble young lady. Lieut.. Ulysses s.
Grant married Miss Dent. Though
for many years thereafter the homes of
those two families were separated by
hundreds of miles, yet the members were
not lost sight of by each other. Hancock
became personally popular with the peO-
pie OF his home in Pennsylvania and ad-
vanced creditably in the military SER
vice, while Grant, not thus favored by
fortune, got out of the army and strug-
gled in poverty.
"Now," added the Major General, with
emphasis, "there in that protracted con-
trast OF positions was planted The seed,
long dormant, from which sprung the
Grant-Hancock quarrel-envy. Imme-
dlately upon the close of the war of the
rebellion Hancock was placed in military
charge of the District of Columbia with
uudi III w Inc
master in charge of the district, whose
official duty it was to provide Hancock
with quarters for his family residence,
rented choice dwelling house in Wash
1ngton FOR that purpose, and Gen. and
Mrs. Hancock moved into it. There they
were residing when along came from
Virginia Gen. Grant and his family.
Grant outranked Hancock as military
commander. According TO military rule
officer q
Lutte choice OF quarters. and can, If he
Will, take possession of those already oc.
cupIed by his inferior.
"Mrs. Grant, looking around for resi-
dence for her family, came upon the
house in which Mrs. Hancock was living.
Mrs. Grant told her husband of this dis
covery and expressed her desire to occupy
that house. Gen. Grant so informed the
quarterma ster, and the latter, as was his
omclal duty, accordingly made known to
Gen. Hancock that his family must vacate
the premises. Hancock wrote a letter to
Grant deprecaring that action, remark
ing, among other things, that there were
numerous dwelling houses in Washing
ton equally and some more desirable 10
be had for the asking. Grant replied in
terms which Hancock regarded as dis
courteous aud In some sentences decided
ly offensive. The Hancocks Immediately
vacated the coveted house and the Grants
moved into it.
"Some time thereafter on Fifteenth
street, in front of the Treasury Depart
ment building, Grant and Hancock met.
! The former, as he afterward stated, was
| prepared to salute the latter and indi-
Gated his purpose. Gen. Hancock OBJ
served Gen. Grant, but in q marked man.
ner refused TO speak and passed on. This
occurrence becoming publicly known
some days thereafter Gen. sherman vol
unfairly interposed as mediator. A writ.
ten correspondence between Sherman
and Hancock followed, but no reconcilia-
ton ever took place between Grant and
Hancock, though Grant frequently eX-
pressed mis- regret at the enlargement.
Time removed the acerbity of Hancock's
resentment, and he, as we know, was one
OF the most conspicuous among the dis
tinguished men who attended the funeral
OF Gen. Grant"